This invention relates to a plasma separation apparatus for use in collecting plasma from blood, more particularly, to a single-needle type plasma separation apparatus and a plasma collection apparatus for collecting plasma by using a single-needle type plasma separation circuit.
As a conventional plasma separation apparatus, there has been proposed a double-needle type plasma separation apparatus in which plasma separation is continuously carried out by utilizing gravity by the manner that two blood collection containers are lifted up and down alternatively, for example, as shown in FIG. 14 (Japanese Patent Kokai JP-A-59-209347).
There has also been proposed a single-needle type plasma separation apparatus in which plasma separation is intermittently carried out by utilizing gravity by the manner that a single blood collection container is lifted up and down, for example, as shown in FIG. 15 (Japanese Patent Kokai JP-A-60-7852).
Referring to FIG. 14, in the double-needle type plasma separation apparatus in which plasma separation is continuously carried out by utilizing gravity by the manner that the blood collection containers 65 and 66 are lifted up and down alternatively, a donor need be stabbed with two puncture needles, that is, a blood collection needle 61 and a blood return needle 68. Further in this apparatus, blood collected from a vein of the donor must be circulated with a head between the donor and a plasma separator 63. Then a plasma collection container 60 and one of the concentrated red blood cell reservoirs 65 and 66 must be kept below the plasma separator 63 during plasma collection operation. Thus, it is difficult to carry out the plasma collection operation because it must be done at a low posture. Besides, it is also difficult to ensure the necessary head between the donor and plasma separator 63 in a narrow place, particularly within a car for blood donation. Further, in this conventional plasma separation apparatus, their components which need be handled are relatively apart from one another, resulting bad operability.
Referring to FIG. 15, also in the single-needle type plasma separation apparatus in which plasma separation is intermittently carried out by utilizing gravity by the manner that the blood collection container 75 is lifted up and down, blood collected from a vein of a donor must be circulated with a head between the donor and a plasma separator 73. Then a plasma collection container 79 and the concentrated red blood cell reservoir 75 must be kept below the plasma separator 73 during plasma collection operation. Thus, it is difficult to carry out the plasma collection operation because it must be done at a low posture. Besides, it is also difficult to ensure the necessary head between the donor and plasma separator 73 in a narrow place, particularly within a car for blood donation. Further, also in this conventional plasma separation apparatus, their components which need be handled are relatively apart from one another, resulting bad operability.